Namaste Spiceland is an Indian market/restaurant, located on Hill, just south of the 210. It's in a small mini-mall with its own parking lot.
If you've been to Samosa House West, in Culver City, Namaste is probably closest in similarity: both are markets but they also serve food via a steam tray buffet + a kitchen that makes other dishes to order.
Personally, I find Namaste to be a great quick, affordable lunch option in my general area (see below for other options): I'm more of a fan of their chaat-style dishes and made-to-order items than their steam tray options (not that the latter is bad but I'm not blown away by what they have).
I often will get their bhel puri or samosa chaat but this time, I decided to get a masala dosa (dosa with spiced potatoes inside). In this case, the full length of the dosa was close to two feet, with the potatoes mostly in the middle section. I'm no dosa expert but based on what I've had, this seemed solid: the dosa was crisp on the outside but still had a little chew to it. The slightly sour taste from the fermented batter played well with the masala filling. Add in the sauces and soup and you have some good dipping options. I did find the dosa to be just slightly greasy to the touch but I haven't had enough dosas to know if this is to be expected or not. Overall, quite enjoyable. 8/10
Off the top, I would say it's comparable to what I've had in Artesia but not quite at the same level as someone like Mayura (Culver City) but the latter is a formal, sit-down restaurant so I'm not comparing apples to apples.
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FYI, for those interested, on this side of the SGV (western), besides Namaste Spiceland, the two two market/restaurants I know about are Bhanu (east Pasadena) and Punjab Market (Alhambra). Of the three, Namaste has the smallest menu and, best as I can tell, it's all vegetarian, unlike Bhanu and Punjab, both of which serve meat dishes.
by soulsides
Dining and Cooking